Plaça Sant Jaume, Barcelona. Power has not moved from this spot for 2000 years.
This square has been the centre of power of the city without interruption since the times when Barcelona was the Ancient Roman city of Barcino. Back then, in this place there was the Forum and its temple dedicated to the imperial cult to Augustus. Some columns from the back of the temple are still standing inside a Medieval house.
Since the Middle Ages, the city council met at this place to debate before making any decision. Later in the Middle Ages, the County of Barcelona built the Palau de la Generalitat, which served as the seat of government of Catalonia, as it still does nowadays.
At one side of the square is the Generalitat, the seat of Catalonia’s government, and on the opposite side is the city hall of Barcelona. Both buildings are Medieval with Neoclassical façades.
